Due to the capital- and energy-intensive nature of petroleum refineries and the greenhouse emissions they cause, biorefineries based upon renewable feedstocks are becoming more attractive. They offer potential for sustainable manufacturing of fuels and chemicals with reduced cost, energy and carbon footprint.
One of the main goals of biorefineries is to produce energy from renewable domestic raw materials to displace imported petroleum. Corn biorefineries, for example, dry mills, that currently produce ethanol and animal feed, are expected to seek diversified product portfolios as ethanol subsidies are phased out. Incorporating a variety of fuels and chemicals into a biorefinery's product portfolio is expected to be crucial to facilitate expansion of the biorefinery industry, maximize profit and make the biorefineries economically viable. Corn biorefineries with diversified product portfolios offer great potential for corn farmers and sugar producers to capture added value, and a higher return on investment, while achieving energy and economic goals simultaneously. Also, depending on the type of product targeted, this could enhance the energetics of the corn biorefinery so that life cycle analysis could show that these biorefineries would possibly fit the definition of advanced biofuels, for example, by providing a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Sugars such as glucose may be used as feedstock for production of renewable hydrogen, they may also be dehydrated to furfurals or levulinic acid to enable production of gasoline, jet, and diesel fuel hydrocarbons. Several important platform chemicals that can be produced from sugars include furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), levulinic acid, and γ-valerolactone, all of which may add significant value to the existing corn biorefineries through product diversification while reducing risk and increasing revenue and profits from corn.
In light of this background, there remain needs for improved and/or alternative methods for processing feedstocks in the field of biorefining.